Congress Avenue Bats - Cool Things To Do In Austin

Congress Avenue Bats – Cool Things To Do In Austin

By M&M Super Moving
Published on August 13th, 2012

Congress Avenue Bats – Just before dark and at the precise right time, the 1.5 million bats seemingly come to life and fly out from under the Congress Avenue Bridge. These nocturnal animals seem to know exactly when to move out and it is quite a site. Tourists and locals have been watching these bats since 1980 when the bridge was redone and the bats moved in. When you are in our area be sure to visit this beautiful and one of a kind event.

Every summer night, hundreds of people gather to see the world’s largest urban bat colony emerge from under the Congress Avenue Bridge.These 1.5 million bats are fun to watch, but they’re also making our world a better place to live.

When engineers reconstructed downtown Austin’s Congress Avenue Bridge in 1980 they had no idea that new crevices beneath the bridge would make an ideal bat roost. Although bats had lived there for years, it was headline news when they suddenly began moving in by the thousands. Reacting in fear and ignorance, many people petitioned to have the bat colony eradicated.

About that time, BCI stepped in and told Austinites the surprising truth: that bats are gentle and incredibly sophisticated animals; that bat-watchers have nothing to fear if they don’t try to handle bats; and that on the nightly flights out from under the bridge, the Austin bats eat from 10,000 to 20,000 pounds of insects, including agricultural pests.

As the city came to appreciate its bats, the population under the Congress Avenue Bridge grew to be the largest urban bat colony in North America. With up to 1.5 million bats spiraling into the summer skies, Austin now has one of the most unusual and fascinating tourist attractions anywhere.

The Austin American-Statesman created the Statesman Bat Observation Center adjacent to the Congress Bridge, giving visitors a dedicated area to view the nightly emergence. It is estimated that more than 100,000 people visit the bridge to witness the bat flight, generating ten million dollars in tourism revenue annually.

Location
The Congress Avenue Bridge is in Downtown Austin, just 10 blocks south of the State Capitol building. The bridge spans Town Lake at the cross streets of Cesar Chavez to the north and Barton Springs Road on the south. The Austin American-Statesman’s Bat Observation Center is on the southeast side.

Parking
Free public parking is available after 6PM.

Bat Flight Time
The bats arrive at the bridge in mid-March and return to Mexico in early November. While in residence, they astonish visitors with their spectacular emergence display at dusk.

The time of year, weather conditions, and colony size all affect bat emergence times. Late July through mid-August is the best time to see impressive flights, as new born pups first begin to forage with their mothers.

The bats generally emerge before dark, but may fly late if conditions are not favorable.

For updates and approximate emergence times, please call Bat Conservation International’s home office number 512-327-9721 for the latest flight times.